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Leadership: It’s lonely at the top

Being a leader is rewarding, challenging and brings a great deal of job satisfaction. But it can also be lonely. You’re there for your people when things get tough – and if they don’t want to come to you, they have colleagues and peers that they can talk it through with. But who do leaders turn to?

Everyone assumes you have all the answers, but what happens when you don’t? Who do you go to?

As you’ll know it can be very hard as a leader, when you’re struggling or overwhelmed, to find the support that you need. You don’t want to admit that you don’t have all the answers, that you, too, have times of struggle and crisis. So you turn inwards, getting stuck in your own head.

This can be detrimental to your performance, decision-making, and your mental health.

The most successful leaders often have people they can confide in and bounce ideas off. If you don’t have people to talk things through with, your perspective becomes more and more turned inwards.

But what you really need to be an effective leader is to be looking outwards and staying attuned to the perspectives of other people.

If your isolation leads to poor decision making it can have an impact on the people you lead, making them feel frustrated, and causing you to feel even further removed.

If you can relate to this and want to take the next step, book in a call with me to see how I can help you stop feeling overwhelmed, speak your mind freely and make a positive difference in your work.

Tackling isolation as a leader

There are a few things you can do to combat the loneliness of leadership.

Seek out peers. It can be very reassuring to have someone to talk to at a similar level and realise that you’re not alone in the challenges you face. Look at who else in your organisation is in a similar level leadership role, and think about whether you would make good support for each other.

If there are no suitable peers in your organisation, then think about joining a networking group where you can meet others who are at a similar level.

You should also make sure that you’re staying connected with your friends outside of work. Having a strong social circle at home can help offset any loneliness you might feel at work.